Some subjects make for unlikely theatre, not least when performed by a lone female on a relatively unencumbered stage. But in amongst the myriad missteps and misfires are occasional jewels and playwright Hannah Kumari’s ENG-ER-LAND is one of those multi-faceted and brilliant small-scale gems.Set in the 1990s, our football fanatic protagonist Lizzie (played by Kumari herself) has the mixed blessing of dual race parentage. Scots heritage blends with Punjabi, throwing-up vibrant yet confusingly unclear demands for allegiance to different tribes. But whilst such cultural and racial push-and-pull may present difficult and challenging dilemmas, loyalty is never more unquestioningly given than when Coventry City are playing, for Lizzie is a dyed-in-the-wool Sky Blues fan (as is Kumari herself).
The more challenging questions in the play, arise from the behaviour of those who move in Lizzie’s orbit or those she encounters at football matches. An uncle calmly and unexpectedly intercedes when a right-wing thug looks intent on causing trouble at a home game, but the kindness and loyalty of perceived friendships buckle under the pressure of wanting to be part of the popular mainstream crowd. Societal tropes and clichés are easy to identify and relatable because we have all encountered them at one time or another, but the truth of an individual’s lived experience (albeit a fictionalised account drawn partly from life and part conjured from knowledge acquired from living in a multi-cultural society) holds a strength and power difficult to deny.
Kumari herself is an articulate and genuinely warm advocate for tolerance and understanding in an environment which has struggled historically to tackle the more extreme aspects of hooliganism and anti-social behaviour. Her words flow quickly and feel genuinely spontaneous as we journey with her through elation and excitement to disappointment and fear and back again. As a reflective snap-shot of a time gone by, there are marked and tangible reminders of the progress which has been made in the last quarter century around inclusivity, tackling racism and promotion of the women’s game. And through ENG-ER-LAND’s comedy and determinedly upbeat first-person narrative the piece reminds us that vigilance and consistency in calling-out bigotry, is essential if we are to continue to make headway and progress. I almost felt like waving my England flag.
